Ambiguity - literal battle, or Macbeth's battle? Also demonstrates how we cannot know the Witches' intentions - what could they gain from Macbeth? Are they on anyone's side? What is their purpose; their intent?
'There to meet with Macbeth'
'Graymalkin. / Paddock calls'
'Fair is foul, and foul is fair; / Hover through the fog and filthy air'
Annotations:
Proverbial at the time, but expression probably signifies the moral confusion or inversion which the Witches represent.
'killing swine'
'in a sieve I'll thither sail'
'thrice' 'the charm's wound up'
Annotations:
The completion of a charm that does not lead to a prophecy suggests that they may be the perpetrators of Macbeth's misfortune.
About Macbeth
'brave Macbeth'
'Disdaining fortune'
Annotations:
Macbeth inevitably takes matters into his own hands.
'Like valour's minion carv'd out his passage'
Annotations:
Again, he must carve his own passage, so he was an instrument in Duncan's murder out of incapability to be a passive observer of fate. Given a prophecy, must act upon it.
'unseam'd him from the nave to th' chops'
'worthy gentleman'
'As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.'
'Bellona's bridegroom'
Annotations:
Old Roman goddess of war.
'What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won.'
Annotations:
Echoes Witches' prophecy - Demonstrates invasive nature of witches' prophecy - Rupert Goold production. Both literal battle lost and won, but more specifically Macbeth's battle is lost and won - could be used to support argument that the Witches' are to blame - they have already decided Macbeth's fate.